房契 (fáng qì) — title deed (for a house)

Definition

noun

title deed (for a house)

Measure word · 张

房契。
Tā bǎ fáng qì suǒ zài bǎo xiǎn guì lǐ le.
He locked the title deed in the safe.
房契。
Mǎi fáng zi de shí hou yí dìng yào bǎo guǎn hǎo fáng qì.
When buying a house, you must keep the title deed safe.
房契。
Zhè zhāng fáng qì shì zǔ shàng chuán xià lái de.
This title deed was passed down from our ancestors.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

“房” names house and “契” names deed, together meaning a deed for a house.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

戶戶hùdoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

㓞大契

Meaning part形符xíngfú

大大dàperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

㓞

㓞㓞契qì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

契 pairs 大 (person) with 㓞, which means 'to engrave,' showing a person making an agreement or carving something with a knife.